'Greatest opening pair in IPL history': Irfan hails GT duo
What's the story
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has dubbed Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan as the greatest opening pair in IPL history. The duo has been instrumental in Gujarat Titans's success this season, with their stellar performances leading them to the playoffs. In Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals, they put up a remarkable 167-run opening stand while chasing a challenging target of 215.
Stellar stats
Stellar performances by Sudharsan and Gill
Gill scored a brilliant 104 off 53 balls, while Sudharsan smashed an aggressive 58 off just 32 balls. Their partnership took the pressure off in the knockout contest and ensured a comfortable win for Gujarat Titans. Both batters have been in stellar form this season, having crossed the 700-run mark each. Gill is currently second on the Orange Cap list with 722 runs, while Sudharsan isn't far behind with his tally of 710 runs.
Perfect match
Pathan lauds the duo's exceptional understanding
On JioStar, Pathan praised Gill and Sudharsan for their exceptional understanding and complementary skills. He said, "Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the best batting pair in IPL history. In T20 cricket, if you want a flying start, you want both of them at the top. They complement each other perfectly. One rotates the strike, the other finds the boundaries." Pathan also noted how they capitalized on Rajasthan Royals's bowling strategies in Qualifier 2 by punishing short-pitched deliveries with their aggressive batting style.
Game changer
Sudharsan, Gill's partnership from last season
Pathan stressed that the 167-run stand was the turning point of the match, saying, "The opening partnership of 167 runs in just 77 balls was where Rajasthan Royals lost the game. That stand took the chase away from them completely." He also recalled their consistency from last season when they scored a combined total of 912 runs in 15 innings despite Gujarat Titans's defeat to Mumbai Indians in Eliminator.
Feat
Most century partnerships in T20s
The Qualifier 2 clash saw Sudharsan and Gill break Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli's record for the most century partnerships in men's T20 cricket. The duo achieved their 11th such stand. Overall, the GT stars have added 2,944 runs as a pair at a tremendous average of 64 across 48 innings. They have also recorded 11 half-century partnerships in the league. Meanwhile, the GT duo has registered 886 partnership runs in IPL 2026 at 63.28 (100s: 4, 50s: 2).